United States – Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership: Progress and Challenges

Presidents Barack Obama and Yudhoyono signed the Joint Declaration on the Comprehensive Partnership in November 2010 to strengthen ties between the world’s 3rd and 4th largest populated countries. The two presidents then reaffirmed the importance of those expanding ties in November 2011 when they met in Bali, Indonesia.

On September 17, 2012, accompanied by senior officials from both sides, Secretary Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Natalegawa highlighted the growing and robust relationship between their two countries. They further pledged to continue contacts between Indonesian and American officials at all levels and regular consultations on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and international topics. In addition to these official contacts, there have been people-to-people contacts.

On October 31, 2012, USINDO, in cooperation with the Department of International Relations – Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, hosted an Open Forum with Mr. Ted Lyng, Political Counselor at the United States Embassy in Indonesia, to discuss the progress of the Comprehensive Partnership to strengthen the bilateral relations between the United States and Indonesia, the existing challenges that hinder further progress of the Partnership, and key recommendations for the two countries to effectively address those challenges and optimize the Partnership.

EVENT DATE: 2012-10-31

TIME: 09:30-11:30

Speaker Details

Ted Lyng is currently Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia, marking the third time he is stationed in Indonesia. He has also previously served abroad in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, and Moscow. He speaks fluent Indonesian, Chinese, and Russian. He graduated with an M.A. from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a B.A. from Cornell University. He is married and has two sons.